I'll play devil's advocate to Jan:

<Remember that Pit is an antidiuretic which is why many mothers
who are induced for 6 to 8 hours or more become edematous. (Notice I said
*many*, not *all*).>

I have read that Pitocin has "some" antidiuretic properties. Also, that
it shares some chemical similarities with ADH, and therefore, might
compete for binding sites. I have also wondered if altering the ratio of
natural oxytocin by the use of synthetic Pitocin might also set up some
kind of feedback inhibition to the pituitary or something. (I'm
chemistry- challenged, you might say.) I'd love any references you can
give.

< If the mom is getting Pit, so is the baby.>

Is this evidence based, Jan? What about half-life, and transfer across
the placenta? How much gets through? Does anyone know if there have been
any studies, for instance, on cord blood of babies born with and without
pitocin in labor? Does it come back out through the placenta for mom to
get rid of like some drugs do if given long enough before delivery so
that the baby doesn't have to break them down?

<If it is an antidiuretic in a mom, it is in baby too.  If it holds fluid
in the mother's system, it does in the baby too.> Is that a hypothesis
derived from any such studies as above, or a logical deduction?

<For the most part, babies don't have
"dependent extremities" so the edema would be all over.>

I'll grant you that. Nor do they have pendulous breasts!

<I suspect that the baby is able to pee off the extra fluid a lot faster
than the mother can>

What makes you "suspect" this and why? What about premature babies where
the kidneys might still be immature? I think I remember hearing that
babies of diabetic mothers seem to have some generalized edema. I wonder
if anyone has ever taken a look to see if those mothers received Pitocin
in labor?

<(we know that it can take up to 12 days for the mother to get rid of all
the edema)>

If you have a reference for that, I'd very much like to have it too.

Jean
**********
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA

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